The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1887-08-11
A HORRIBLE BUTCHERY.
Nine Persons Brutaly Murdered Near
Macon.

SOaCO VI CACitSlhCht CdbuIdd lHOTulilS
by the announcement OF tie most
brutal murder ever known in the
history OF Bib county. The crime
was committed about ten miles from
Macon Saturday morning before day.
A negro man carried the news to
Macon that Mr.. h. f. Voolfolk and
wife, their six children and Mrs.
West, an old lady from Americas,
who was visiting at Woolfolk's, had
been murdered at nightin their beds,
at the home of Mr.. Voolfolk, and
requested that the coroner be mott
fed, and sent to the same Immediately.
The note stated that Mr.. Thomas
Voolfolk, son of the murdered r
f. Voolfolk, was the only one who
escaped the horrible butchery. He
was arrested that morning, as the
murderer. He slept at his fathers
house that night, and soon next
morning ran to neighbors, and no.
tilted Mr.. Sam Chambliss, and 9th
ers, of the terrible murder. The
bloody clothes, shirt and drawers,
of Thomas Voolfolk were found in
well where he changed, and CON
cealed them after committing the
diabolical crime. Sheriff Westcott
arrived in Macon at 4 o'clock Sat
urday afternoon with Voolfolk and
was driven rapidly to hejail. Thorn
as Voolfolk is a young man well
known IN Macon, and at one time
kept small grocery store on Cotton
avenue. lie married Miss Bird a
few weeks ago on train Of the East
Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia
railroad while it was in full speed
through Rock Hill cemetery. 1t is
rumored that his wife was forced to
separate IRON him and return to her
parents because of non-support and
other causes. There were nine per-
sons killed Mr.. and Mrs. Voolfolk
and their six children, II. w. Wool
folk, Jr., aged 20 years Pearl Wool
folk, aged II years; Annie aged 10
years; Rosebud, aged 6 years the
baby, Matte, aged Is months, Char
he, aged 4 years and Mrs. West, 81
years old. The killing was done with
short hand axe, and the motive of
the murder was thought to have been
to get the property of his father,
hence the wholesale butchery. Mr..
and Mrs. Voolfolk were lying on
the bed, and it seems that he was the
first one killed and at one blow.
Mrs. Voolfolk had one arm thrown
up as if avoiding the fatal blow.
Dick was lying on the side of the
bed and Pearl was lying at the foot
Of the bed, somewhat on her mother.
The little baby Matte was lying by
the side of her mother. 1t seems
that the above children were put on
the bed after being killed Rosebud
and Charlie were killed in an adjoin-
ing room, Annie was killed as she
was getting out of a window. Mr..
r. L. Voolfolk, or "Dick" Voolfolk,
as he is generally called, is well
known in Macon. He was about 81
years old and at one time quite veal
thy.
The coroner's jury found verdict
OF murder against Thomas G. Wool
folk, son of the captains first wife,
who was sleeping in the house. His
statement was that sometime before
daybreak he was aroused by groans
and the sound of blows proceeding
from his parents room. His half
brother, Richard, ran into the room
which adjoined his, and thinking
that murder was being committed he
CThomas) jumped from the window
in his night clothes, and bare feeta and
ran to the house Of a negro 800 or
400 yards distant, to get them to
arouse the neighborhood. lie says
he was afraid to return, fearing that
he himself would be murdered, but
went back after half an hour. No
help had arrived, and he went IN to
see if the family had been murdered.
He found them all dead. He step
ped in pool of blood in passing and
left foot prints on the floor. lie
found his step-mother lying so that
her head was on the floor and her
body on the bed. lie raised her up
and placed her on the bed. He then
changed his clothing. BY this time
a crowd had arrived, and soon after
he was taken into custody.
The evidence before the jury was
circumstantial throughout, but strong
as to the guilt of the prisoner. The
crowd continued to grow in size, and
the indications pointed strongly to
lynching. Sheriff Westcott told the
jury to withhold their verdict until
he could get the prisoner away, and
then making all arrangements, slip
ped Voolfolk out Of the house in a
hurry and drove away so rapidly that
the cpowa had hardly time to realize
the departure. The prisoner WAS
carried to Macon and safely lodged
in Jail, whore he talked Of the affair
frnal,. oDl =, ....... IL. 49, l.